Into the Lion's Den
by Locke1
Summary: Sacrifice, Love. What does these words mean? What would a person do for a person they Love? What would a person give up for Love? Is that Sacrifice? A tale about Ranma what he would do for Love.  I added a second part. Hope you enjoy it.
1. Into the Lion's Den

"Ya know, its funny how when ya start ta really look around ya, everythin' just seem ta jumble up and get all confusing ya know?"

"You're not making sense Ranma."

"Then tell me why Ryouga, why did she die to save me instead? I'm supposed to save her."

"She did what she had to."

"No she didn't, I gave her all the reasons ta hate me. Ya saw me gave those reasons ta her when we were in junior high. That's why ya chased me all the way ta China in the first place, that and the bread feud."

"She just wants you to live."

"How am I supposed to do that now?"

"Akane is still here."

"She's the only reason I stayed with the Tendo Family."

"Did you know, if you stand in the rain and hold your breath and close your eyes, it feels like your underwater."

"Whatever Ranma, whatever..."

* * *

Another pointless Ranma ½ fic by me: 

Into the Lion's den

Disclaimer: The only thing I own in this fic is the original character I put in and the plot, probably, but theres probably another one out there that's like this already so I can't really place my bet on it

* * *

Confused yet? Believe it or not, this isn't the first time me and Ryouga actually sat down and had a nice a civilized talk like any other person. Imagine that, it takes us three years to manage to sit down and talk like friends again. It shows you how badly I screwed up. I still remember the last time we were talking like this. 

"HELP ME RYOUGA!"

"Calm down Ranma, if you keep yelling like that, I'm going to the other café!"

Yep, that's me sitting across the table from Ryouga screaming for him to help me. It was one of those times when I manage to steal a couple thousand yen from my father so I can actually buy a good lunch and eat it with a friend.

"But what am I suppose to do! How do you ask!"

"Just ask! Are you a man or not!"

"SHUT UP! I don't see YOU asking a girl out on a date!"

Who's the girl you ask? The most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life, the only girl to have ever made me feel like I'll never be alone again, the first girl that I'll ever remember protecting from the world.

"Oh come on, it's just Kyoko, it's not like she'll say no or bite your head off." Ryouga replied calmly.

"But... a DATE! It's not like we're going to the park or pool for fun!"

"Just ask..."

Heh, imagine that, I actually went to mister nosebleed for women advice. I was young and foolish I guess, but I never thought Ryouga would ever become like that. But then again, he did know Kyoko ever since elementary school and she's been his best friend since... well since ever.

"Hey Ryouga, Hi Ranma."

I remember turning and seeing her beautiful chestnut eyes, and short dark black hair that framed her face so elegantly. Her voice is so sweet, even sweeter than Kasumi's in my ears. Her smile is like a goddess descending towards me...

Ok, I'm exaggerating about her looks so sue me. I guess in a way, even Akane, as uncute as that tomboy is, has a better figure than she does (But I don't take back the flat chested part! Kyoko was still thirteen back then!) All in all, she's just your average school girl. Then again, I never did take looks into account do I? If I did, I'd be married to Shampoo or Ukyou already. Back to the point, Kyoko, she is... special. One of the reason why she is friends with Ryouga, not that I'm saying he is hopeless in making friends, it's just that with his direction sense, not many kids want to be friends with him. But also because of that, he didn't hear about all the rumors about Kyoko so he befriends her. Kyoko at that time, or so I was told by Ryouga, is pretty desperate for a friend of her own so she stuck with Ryouga and lead him to school and everything for most of their elementary school life.

"Hey Ranma, I want to talk to you." Kyoko said looking really cute with a blushed face.

"I-I- umm... sure... I mean... err... I want to... umm..."

"Look Kyoko, Ranma wants to take you out on a date ok? Just nod and say yes." Ryouga blurted out.

I remember blushing and looking out the window. I think Kyoko was doing the same because when I turned to glance at her, her face was all red and she was glancing everywhere but me. After a few minutes of hearing Ryouga laugh at us and us trying not to look at each other, we decided to talk about it later.

How I wish I took her on a date before we talked.

"Ranma, I saw monsters in your mind. I think I can help."

Those words echoed in my mind and struck something in me. She saw monsters in me, the Cat Fist, something even I can't stand up to. I know if I let her, my own demons will get her killed.

I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Remember when I said Kyoko is special? Well she can seep into a person's mind and wander in it. She tells me it's like watching a movie fast forwarded, but the scenes are all mixed up and some of them are more blurry than others. When she first told me, and seeped into my mind, I loved every moment of it. I would let her wander in my mind for hours, forgetting about training with pops. Those are moments in my life which I cherish the most. No one knows about it except me, Kyoko and maybe her parents. I would share my thoughts with her and we would just sit there leaning on each other with our foreheads touching and our eyes closed. Everything I would experience, she would experience as well. All the happiness I felt when I learn a new martial arts move, all the determination I have to become the best. All the pain I felt during training. All the feelings I have for her that overwhelms everything I ever dreamed of attaining...

I never thought she would see the most guarded demon in me. I never thought of the saying "Practice makes Perfect", maybe all the times I let her in my mind, she was getting better at diving into it?

"No, it's my problem, I need to deal with it myself."

"But Ranma!"

"No, and that's final!"

By that time, I've forgotten that we're supposed to talk about our up coming date. Ryouga got mad at me for making her sad. I suppose that's how it all started between me and Ryouga, the infamous bread feud, our daily fights. Of course the way I started to act towards Kyoko only fueled his anger. Every day I would see her standing in front of the metal gate of our school waiting for my answer, and everyday I would ignore her by giving her a cold shoulder.

She just kept insisting, and I made myself my eternal rival that chased me all the way to China because I betrayed his best friend, oh yeah, and taking all his bread.

When I finally left for China, I didn't even say goodbye to her. One of the three regrets I have in my live that I would pay for, for the rest of my life.

* * *

"Ranma it's going to rain soon! COME ON!" Akane yelled at me as we ran towards her home. 

Yep, just a usual day for me, of course, I never thought that this day would be the day I would lose everything I have lived for ever since...

"Ranma?"

Her voice made my whole body shiver as the same warm feeling once again wash over me. I saw her again. After three years of running, she somehow stumbled onto me again.

"Kyoko..."

Sixteen now, a hell of a lot sexier! I couldn't help but compare Kyoko to Akane, while my fiancé has a very fit and athletic body and lots of muscles, Kyoko has a simple willowy figure. She still keeps her hair short, a bit longer than Akane's hair. Her skin seems to have become paler than the last time I've seen her. I won't look at her face though, because if I do, I know I would not have the will to push her away again.

"Who is she Ranma?" Akane said in her usual pervert bashing voice.

"Get lost, I don't want to see you again, freak." my whole body winced visibly as I said that. Of course, she knows me too well.

"You don't mean that." Kyoko replied and walked towards me. I involuntarily took a step back, trying to fight off the urge to just run up to her and wrap my arms around her, to feel her warmth against me again. I turned my back towards her.

"Just go away."

"I don't think that's the way to talk to your girlfriend is it?"

And there it is! Somehow, after all these years, Kyoko can still say the phrase I want her to say even without me giving her a hint.

"RANMA YOU PERVERT!" That's Akane's 'angry angry hippo' voice, or so I've dubbed it. So for once, that mallet of hers really helped me in a tight situation.

By now, you should realize that my luck is never good, and all good things is just a short delay to the eventual 'shit hitting the fan' situation.

And like he has swore time and time again, Ryouga managed to really make my life hell.

"RANMA! Come out and apologize to her NOW!"

"What is it this time Ryouga, I didn't do anything to Akane."

"How DARE you call Kyoko a FREAK!"

I froze and looked behind my self proclaimed eternal rival. Kyoko. She's here and I can't hide from her anymore.

"Come in you two, I'll ask Kasumi to bring us some snacks and tea or something."

"Oh my, I didn't know we have guests today."

"It's just Ryouga and his friend, can we have some cookies and tea please?"

"Of course Ranma. Why don't you three go wait in the living room and I'll bring them out for you?"

"Thanks a lot Kasumi"

"Thanks"

"Thank you."

The three of us sat at the table looking at each other. Well it's more like Ryouga looking at the two of us, Kyoko staring at me, while I try my best to avoid her gaze, which I am very successful at I might add.

"Here's your tea and cookies."

"Thanks Kasumi, ya wanna join us?"

"That's ok Ranma, I don't want to intrude."

We ate our cookies in silence. I don't know what happened exactly, but soon, the three of us were chatting like we used to again. I guess it just felt like we were thirteen again. We would do this every weekend when I manage to escape from pop's training. We would go to Kyoko's house and eat cookies and drink some tea or juice and talk about everything.

I don't know how long we talked, but soon, Akane came home from the movie she and some of her friends went to. I'm sure the only thing keeping her from hitting me was the fact that Ryouga was actually sitting there with me and not actively trying to kill me, or as she puts it, I am not torturing poor Ryouga until she feels the need to punish me.

The next few minutes turned out to be the most confusing. Pops and Mr.Tendo just pop out of nowhere suddenly, demanding who Kyoko is and why am I associating with her of course, being the person she is, Akane joined in too. Kyoko got this really cute blank look on her face as Ryouga tried to convince her that they are not crazy, or at least not crazy enough to put in an asylum.

"Ranma, what IS she doing here." Akane said glaring at me.

"She a person I know few years ago... just talking with her." I replied coldly, suddenly remembering why she was here.

Kyoko seemed to have remembered why she was here too, she suddenly stands up and looks at me, "Ranma, let me cure your cat fist."

Everyone in the room gasped while I just stared at the ground beside me, "No, you don't have to do this, it's non of your business."

"BOY! This is the best chance of curing your one weakness! Take it!"

"Yes son! For the good of the school!"

"So that's why..." Ryouga whispered beside me, "That's why you were like that."

"No, why are you doing this Kyoko, is it because I'm your boyfriend? Well, I'm engaged to be married to her" I said pointing to Akane, "or are you doing it because you think your helping me? Well I don't need your help! Just go back home, your parents will be worried about you."

"Why are you refusing!" Akane suddenly yelled, "It's because she's a girl isn't it! Your afraid to get help from a girl!"

I clentched my fist so tight I felt like my hand is going to shatter. It was Ryouga who saved me, "Don't do it Kyoko, I'm telling you, as your friend, don't do it."

Akane stared at Ryouga with wide eyes like the first sign of apocalypse was there. I would have laughed if Kyoko wasn't standing in front of me. I can still feel her stare burning right into me.

"You can't tell me what to do Ryouga, I'm going to help Ranma and you can't change my mind."

"I won't let you do it Kyoko." I heard myself said.

"BOY! Accept her help!"

"I won't let you do it Kyoko, because I won't let you die." I said. For the second time in my life, I felt for sure what I want, "I won't let you die to help me Kyoko because if you die, then all that I've done would've been for nothing. All the time I trained, I bled, all for nothing."

"Stop acting so macho and just accept her help! Your being too melodramatic, she's just going to get rid of it. I bet your lieing about her going to die just to scare her off!" Akane fumed as if she knew everything in the world.

"Please Ranma, let me help you."

Both the parents were silent, both in silent contemplation. Ryouga stood by my side, unwavering helping me make my stand, "No Kyoko, I won't let you help me and die because if I let you die because of me, all my training to protect you will be for nothing, and everything I've endured under my father would have been for nothing! Everything in which I believe in will be burnt to ashes!"

Ryouga put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw him shook his head, "Don't say it Ranma."

I hardened myself, "I love you Kyoko, I won't let you die because I love you."

I saw my father nodded as if confirming his suspicion. Mr.Tendo stared at me in wonder as if finally understanding who I really am. Ryouga sighed and turned his head away, but still keeping his hand on my shoulder. I didn't want to look at Akane's face but I know she is shocked, "I love you, I always had, that's why I can't let you die helping me."

"Ranma... look at me."

And that's that... the end of this story, my story. I turned to look at her face, the face I dreamed of every night, dreaming of her beside me, dreaming of me protecting her. The face I saw wasn't that face, nor was it a face of sadness. It was Kyoko when she is determined. All of a sudden, I felt her dive into my mind. I cursed myself for forgetting how her skills will grow and quickly pulled out every trick I know of to block her from getting into my mind.

I don't know when I was knocked out, but when I woke up I found everyone staring at me. I tried to lift myself from the ground to find Kyoko on top of me hindering my movement. I looked at her face, still a mask of grim determination with a hint of fear, only a trail of blood from her nose marred her face. She was dead, I knew it from the time she dived into my mind. The girl I love is dead. Robotically, I walked out of the house carrying her body with me, everyone followed me to a empty field. I placed to body beside the field and walked to the centre.

I screamed in anguish as a pillar of green erupted from me.

* * *

"Hey look, a cat." Ranma said staring at the black stray. 

"Yeah so?"

"I hate them."

"Me too." Ryouga sighed, trying desperately to find something to say before Ranma says something depressing again.

"You remember the last time we actually sat down and talked without beating the crap out of each other?"

"Yeah, when you were about to ask Kyoko on that date, it never happened did it?"

"It never did."

"Right..."

"Hey Ryouga, your going to be traveling again right?"

"Probably, I still need to find a technique to beat you."

"Can I come along?"

"You should stay here."

"I can't."

"Don't let this stop you from living Ranma."

And odd silence hanged around the two.

"Did you know, that when you laugh, your expression is almost exactly like the one you have when you cry?"

"Talk some sense Ranma."

"Maybe I would if she was still alive, maybe I would if she never found me."

"I'm the depressing one Ranma, let me do the angst, it doesn't suit you. She did it so that you can live, she did it because... because she loves you. Don't do this to her."

"She took away something from me that's even more important than the Art, Ryouga."

"Don't die Ranma."

"That's like telling me to walk into a lion's den, I just won't do it." Ranma punched to roof softly, leaving four narrow slits on the tiles, "Maybe if I did, this would have never happened. I don't think I can ever do martial arts anymore. Look at me, I don't even want to fight and I have the most powerful arts. Ironic isn't it?"

"Don't do this to yourself."

"The art killed her. I won't let something that killed her be a part of my life." Ranma said solemnly, "Maybe I'll find something else to do..."

"Well I'm going now, maybe I still need to find my parents." Ryouga muttered before standing up and hefting his backpack, "don't follow me."

Ranma pulled out his own back pack as Ryouga jumped away, "You followed me to China, it's time I do the following."

As if he was a spirit, Ranma just disappeared into thin air. The only only sign of his existence was the rapid tapping on the roofs as he followed Ryouga.

* * *

After massive re-writes, I got an ok version of this story. It's been with me since five months ago and I never did got it to read smoothly. That or it just seemed weird. But I think I finally got a passable version of this story and a go ahead from my pre-reader (Thanks Garah ;) so here it is. 

I was experimenting with changing perspectives and some new styles of writing so it was actually much worst than this when I first wrote it. Suggestions are always accepted, flames and others are also accepted. Cash donations are highly recommended and maybe a new video card for my computer .

Neways, if you want to suggest anything, use the nifty button down there


	2. To Live, To die, To love

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault Ryouga."

"I could've stopped him. There is so much that I could've done. I could've jumped him; I could've find him…"

"You can't."

"I can, but I was too scared."

"It's ok to be scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes."

"Not when you're a martial artist that can demolish a whole building, not when a life is at stake. He wasn't scared..."

"…"

"I thought you'd be sadder than this."

"I am; I cried all my tears away already. I'd probably start again if I got something to drink. You do realize that you're basically leaking water when you're crying right?"

"I'm sorry…"

"…"

* * *

The continuation of the pointless fic by me

**Into the Lion's Den: To live, To die, To love…**

Disclaimer: Blah, just look at the last one…

* * *

I guess I should start from where it all ended. To say it's the beginning of the end is too inaccurate and clichéd, it began to end when we first fought. Where I'm going to start is merely the climax of everything that has happened.

When Ranma fought and lost the one fight that means everything to him.

I think I finally understood what Ranma fights for at that moment when Kyoko told him that she can cure him of the cat fist. Every single fault he has, every single mistake that he made; all so calculated and precise. He was a martial/con artist through and through. I guess being brought up by a father like Genma, you'll bound to learn things like this.

The time I found Ranma again, right when I dived right into him with my umbrella aimed towards his head, I think I knew something was different with him; too bad I was blinded by anger and didn't notice it. Come to think of it, I missed a lot of things Ranma did that gave him away.

I'm trailing off…

I listened to him argue with Kyoko while everyone was shouting what they think is right in their own little world. Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome yelling for him to accept the cure and join the school to make it invincible and Akane with her yell that screams for him to swallow his pride and accept the cure. I don't know which is worst, knowing that the only way my best friend will be happy is if she dives right to her death, or that my rival, my one and only friend that understands me truly can never be happy no matter what he does.

I listen to everyone and even tried to convince Kyoko not to cure Ranma. Of course, Kyoko is always stubborn and won't listen to me, just like when we were small. The only person she ever listens to are her parents, when they are teaching her about her abilities, and Ranma, but only when they are leaning on each other and smiling in a way that I've never seen Ranma smile during the time I saw him in Nerima, the calm and tranquil smile that comes straight from the soul.

I don't know what lead to this, but I do know one thing as I listen to the noise around me as Kyoko continue to argue with Ranma. Today is the day I will lose both of my friends.

It was when Ranma said the words I urged him not to say, that everything changed. Funny how the three words 'I love you' can flip the world and give it a couple thousand dribbles like a basketball in a NBA game, I never realized it can do that until that moment. Mr. Saotome instantly quiet down and gave Ranma a sad, knowing look, Mr. Tendo glaring at Ranma before settling on a neutral expression, waiting for what he says next. Akane, her expression is the most confusing. I never did manage to put an emotion on her expression, it just changed so fast.

All of us listened to Ranma talk, still facing away from Kyoko. Mr. Saotome turned away sadly and let out a resigned sigh while Mr. Tendo stood impassively. Akane started screaming again, yelling how Ranma is a big liar and shouldn't lie about dying like that.

No one believed her, and from the knowing look Kyoko as, neither did she.

I know this, but Kyoko doesn't seem to lose resolve as she heard Ranma speak, her smile grew larger and larger. Her eyes started to water so much that she had to wipe the tears from her eyes with her sleeves. Then like the prophet from heaven itself declaring the end, Kyoko spoke.

"Ranma… Look at me."

It took less than a second, not the spectacular fight that everyone would've thought Ranma would be in when he finally lost. Just one second, his eyes glazed over at the same time Kyoko's did. The two stared into each other for minutes before Akane got tired and tried to shake Ranma awake. I stopped her of course, breaking the two apart now will be even worst than the outcome that is decided already. It's better to have saved one life than to lose two right?

What I didn't realize was: my wish that I made before I realized all this, it came true...

* * *

After I left Nerima, I wandered around for a year or so. I found some of my family, we talked, we laughed, we cried; it was a very nice break from what I saw happen in the Tendo residence.

Good times never last, or so I was taught by Ranma when I saw him again.

After the year I wandered around and meeting family, I ended up back in Nerima. Nabiki was the first to greet me when I walked into the Tendo Dojo.

"Ryouga! Thank god you're here!"

"Nabiki?"

"Ryouga, have you seen Ranma?"

Ranma ran away. When he said he is giving up his art, I knew he meant giving up on the life that he has then. I never thought he would leave the only place he called home for a whole year.

"No… He ran away?"

Nabiki nodded wearily and started to tell me how Ranma disappeared after he shot the mother of all Shi Shi Hokodans.

"I was hoping you bumped into him."

"I only bumped into some of my family."

The Tendos invited me to stay for some time. I accepted of course, living on the road so much leaves you wanting a bed, or even just a futon, to sleep in. Also, I wanted to visit Kyoko, I missed her burial, when I got lost again after the last talk I had with Ranma.

Two days later, Mr. Saotome volunteered to lead me to her resting place to pay my respects. During the walk, I learnt that Mr. Saotome tried to offer his own life to appease Kyoko's parents, of course they would have non of it and Mr. Saotome ended up just helping them whatever way he could.

It was the first time I've been to Kyoko's grave. Mr. Saotome knelt down and placed a bouquet of flowers, white roses. It fits Kyoko, the roses I mean, purity, pure in the soul. I don't know why Mr. Saotome brought them, but they fit perfect.

It must be hours that we've spent in front of the Kyoko's gravestone in silence. The sun was already setting. I didn't notice when Mr. Saotome left me alone, but he did and I stayed inside this cemetery till the moon raised from the horizon.

"ryouga…"

I jumped to see Ranma standing behind me with the same sad, hopeless face I saw him wearing the last time we talked, "Ranma…"

A small smile crept onto his lips as he stared at the grave, "Kyoko…"

A cold chill shot through my body, the haunting way he said her name told me multitudes of things. But one of these things stuck in my mind, this man is not the Ranma I called my friend.

"Ryouga, what would you do to regain everything that you've lost?"

"I don't know…"

"… Can you leave us alone Ryouga…"

I nodded and left the cemetery.

Naturally I got lost trying to find my way back to the Tendo Dojo. I wandered for another year, while meeting some more of my family and I even managed to bump into my parents a few times. They were really supportive. They knew who Kyoko was and even grew to like her during the times that they manage to get back home while I was still going to school. Needless to say, they were shocked and help me cope with it.

At the end of another year of wandering, I ended up at the Tendo Dojo again. This time, Kyoko's parents were there at the doorway when I absentmindedly stepped towards the door of the Tendo family.

Just like the previous year, I stayed with the Tendos for a few days before visiting Kyoko's grave again. This time, joining me and Mr. Saotome were Kyoko's parents. From what I learnt from our conversation as we walked towards the cemetery, Kyoko's parents knew something like this was going to happen, but they didn't know how to stop it.

And just like the last year, we stood by Kyoko's gravestone silently. Mr. Saotome brought his bouquet of white roses just like last year and to add to it, Kyoko's parents added their own bouquet of Daisies.

I stayed with Kyoko until the moon was hanging on the sky again. And once again I stood alone in the graveyard mourning the passing of my one and only childhood friend when I heard his voice again.

"…r-ryouga…"

A bedraggled Ranma staggered towards the tombstone holding two flowers, an apple blossom and a yellow rose.

"You don't look too good Ranma."

"kyoko…"

"You want to join me Ranma, I'm going to set up camp around here. I have some pretty good meat I can cook up for the both of us."

Ranma looked up to me and squinted, "no… it's ok… my camp is just over there." Ranma waved his hand weakly at some direction, "thanks for the offer though…"

Without another word, Ranma disappeared again.

The third year of Kyoko's death came along. Once again I found myself in front of the Tendo Residence but this time, before I even got to knock, Mr. Saotome was already walking out of the door holding his usual bouquet of white lilies.

"I thought you won't be coming this year."

"Sorry, I kinda got lost…"

It didn't take us long after that to get to Kyoko, but what greeted us there scared us.

Ranma stood in front of Kyoko's grave stone, holding two flowers again; a single lilac and a yellow rose; with a mad grin on his face.

I don't know why, but when I saw him, I wasn't scared because I thought he has gone insane, but instead, I was scared because I saw Ranma standing there laughing as if he finally understood everything there is to understand.

Don't get me wrong, his grin is quite insane. But it's not the kind of insane where he sees things in his own little world, but insane where he just sees and understands too much and it's overloading his brain.

He turned towards us and laughed.

"Ranma… you're here."

"Hi Ryooouga." Ramna swayed from left to right like a drunkard, "I will win."

I frowned when I saw Ranma pull out a book and a knife from his pack that was on the ground beside him, "Ranma, what are you doing?"

"I will win."

Cold fear gripped my heart as Ranma drove the knife down to the hilt right on top of Kyoko's grave. An unholy light shot up from where the knife was driven down. By then, both me and Mr. Saotome instinctively got into a defensive stance, hoping Ranma has not gone mad and somehow discovered how to summon demons.

Looking back, I guess Ranma summoning demons would be better than what he did.

A figure with a black, no, not black, there wasn't any color, just an infinite void that seems empty, but there was color, like a swirl of confusing all mixing together, it was a cloak all the same. The cloak covered everything except for the large scythe the figure held.

Ranma has summoned Death's incarnate.

"It's you again; third time is a charm huh?"

Fear held me back and I think it did the same to Mr. Saotome as we watched Ranma shake in anticipation chanting 'I will win' over and over again.

"Well?"

Death's voice silenced Ranma's chanting. Everything stopped as Ranma stared defiantly into the cloak. Insane fear shone in his eyes as he tried to work his lips to form the two words he wanted desperately to say.

"… my soul…"

Death dropped his scythe and began to make an unearthly, disturbing noise that I soon realize as his twisted version of a laugh. "Why do you think I would accept that, oh tainted one?"

Ranma turned away from the figure in front of him and stared at the ground with a defeated aura about him, "… I don't know… but it's all I have now."

"I don't think you even have one oh tainted one, what is a soul without its fire? Even the most tormented of souls that I have harvested from this realm has more fire than you. Why is that? Why do you despair so much? Most importantly, why, when I have so many souls I can choose from, should I choose your soul over the millions that I can simply whisk away?"

I took a step forward towards the shivering Ranma, "Ranma…"

He looked up at me, "For her…"

"No Ranma…"

"So you do have fire; fire that burns endlessly, even if it does so weakly… very well, I accept."

"NO!"

I remember screaming, I remember being buffeted by nothing, and I remember the feeling of helplessness as I watch Ranma slowly get sucked into the ground followed by Death. I know I was knocked out. I didn't even know what hit me, I just blacked out, but I remember the feeling I got before I did; cold, slivery, dark, yet warm.

* * *

"He always needed to be a hero."

"That's why I love him."

Ryouga turned and faced his best friend, wrapping his arms around her shoulder, "I wish I could save him Kyoko, I really do."

"I know Ryouga, he was one of your best friends."

"Yeah," Ryouga closed his eyes and took his arms off of Kyoko's shoulder, "and all I did was made his life hell."

Kyoko stood and walked towards the grave stone that used to be her own, "He had his reasons; he knew what he was doing. Don't blame yourself."

"You didn't see how he looked like when he gave back your life Kyoko, You didn't see what he had become to save you."

"I saw Ryouga. I was right there, watch him so defeated, so hopeless. I was there… and I watched it all because I couldn't watch anything else…"

"Oh…"

"I'm going to stay here for a while, why don't you go home." Kyoko said staring at the grave stone.

"I'll stay with you."

"No go, I want to be alone."

"Take care Kyoko."

"Good bye, Ryouga."

Kyoko knelt down and looked at the grave stone decorated by a Red Rose and a Larkspur. Rain fell softly. Drizzles of water carpeted the girl and the grave as she picked up the Red Rose.

"Ranma Saotome, the man who lived to protect, died to love, and loved to death. May Death send your soul back someday." Kyoko read from the stone, "Why did you do it Ranma… why?"

Kyoko crawled towards the grave stone, rested her head on top of it, no tears fell from her eyes, she has cried them all away already, she just rested on the grave stone silently as rain trailed down her face, still clutching to the single rose, praying to have whatever was ripped out of her returned…

* * *

I needed a break from writing papers and stuff, and while listening to Maaya Sakamoto's Yubiwa and her vocal renderation of Jupiter (both very beautiful songs) when I thought of some of the comments I got from Into the Lion's den. The songs and the comments got me thinking, Ranma wouldn't give up so easily right? In this world of my fic, he was willing to kill someone in order to keep a reason to avoid and protect the person he really loved. What would he do for the actual person if she is in danger, or in this case, dead?

I don't know where I heard this but I wrote this fic with this on my mind "True sacrifice is not as simple as sacrifice of one's own innocents or childhood as you will lose it sooner or later especially in a world like this. True sacrifice is when you are willing to give up all that you believe in, all that makes who you are."

A dark phrase to guide a sad fic. I wouldn't say it's dark because it's more of a sad fic and not so much brooding dark.

Also the little supernatural twist I gave with Death or the physical incarnation of Death seems to fit in as Kyoko's little supernatural mind dive ended the first part of Into the Lion's den.

Still, I'm a bit disappointed by this one. I haven't run this through with my pre-readers yet, and probably wouldn't 'cause this is more of a side project than anything (even though I gave the first part to my pre-readers but that's mostly because I had time to read it over again), but I will and would probably re-write or at least give it a grammar check and repost. But most importantly, I'm disappointedbecause I'm sure this can be better… The portrayal of the characters in this one doesn't seem as deep or personal than the last one…

Anyways just a little on the side info, each of the flowers that where given to Kyoko's and Ranma's grave have a meaning to them. I don't want to go into detail on what they meant if you want, you can look them up, but basically it's a description of what I envision these characters to be like. The flowers Ranma brought to Kyoko's grave… well, he was a bit crazy then…

Anyways, Comments? Suggestions? Flames? Hate mail? Or comments on me needing to go back to elementary school to take English again? Just use that nifty little button down there


End file.
